Catalan cooking holiday in Spain

A foodie’s week from heaven taking in Catalan cooking classes, wine tours and superb restaurants. All this set in a beautiful part of Spain with medieval rural villages and pine and olive tree clad countryside, how could you not be tempted?.

The Emporda is the historical term for a the region of Catalonia taking in the Costa Brava to the French border. Like any coast in Spain, it has some dubious stretches, but taken as a whole this is perhaps Spain’s finest. It is wild and rugged with rocky outcrops, small coves and pastel fishing villages. Inland, the cork, wild olive and pine trees dominate amidst the medieval stone villages. The area has a rich culinary heritage and plays host to some of the finest restaurants and chefs in the world. The Catalan cuisine, simple and bold, plays heavily on the abundance of fresh produce from the sea and the land with local ingredients such as salt cod, anchovies, wild game, prawns and sea urchins.

This week long expert-led fully guided cooking holiday in Spain, gives a real insight into Catalan cuisine. You’ll be based in a superb rural inn (famed for its restaurant, of course!) from where you’ll enjoy Catalan cooking classes and explore the region on guided trips to local villages, food markets and world class restaurants. The cooking classes are relaxed affairs accompanied by tutored tastings of the best local wines. There is time too for exploring, with the coast only 17 miles away and a network of paths to explore by foot or bike from the hotel (bikes are available free of charge).

This is most definitely a holiday for the food and wine enthusiast. There is a serious focus on food and wine throughout the holiday with all meals pre-arranged (wine provided and chosen for you in many cases) and cooking classes or demonstrations on most days. On the other hand you won’t exactly be spending all week in a cooking school, far from it, with meals in world leading restaurants, visits to fish auctions and local markets. It will be a feast for the senses (sorry for the cliché) which at times will be indulgent, at times luxurious and at times demanding for some. You will get some time to yourself and this really is a fantastic way to take in the highlights of the region and its food. What better way is there to get under the skin of a place? This holiday is available as a small group tour with scheduled departures, or can be booked on request as a private holiday (minimum two people) at a time more suitable for you.